Duplex vacuum floor cleaning tool



JH l I" M. E. BELICKA DUPLEX VACUUM FLOOR CLEANING TOOL May v14, 1968Filed July 28, 1966 ook INE INVENTOR. Mic/ma Elia/elm d/JW .H15ATTORNEYS May l4, 1968 M. E. BELICKA DUPLEX VACUUM FLOOR CLEANING TOOL 2Sheets-Shen Filed July 28, 1966 INVENTOR. M/ef/nfl E. BEL/elm HISATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,382,525 DUPLEX VACUUM FLOGR CLEANINGTOOL Michael E. Belicka, Greenwich, Conn., assigner to ElectroluxCorporation, Old Greenwich, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed July28, 1966, Ser. No. 568,615 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-365) My invention relatesto a cleaning tool for a vacuum cleaner and in particular to a dualpurpose tool which is useful for cleaning both floors (hardwood, tile,linoleum) and rugs or carpets.

Dual purpose iioor cleaning tools are known in which the nozzle body ofthe tool is provided with a pair of dissimilar cleaning surfaces, one oneach side of the nozzle body. In the known dual purpose cleaning tool,the oor cleaning surface comprises an aperture surrounded by a fixedbrush for loosening dust, dirt, etc. adhered to the floor and forsweeping dust and dirt out of depressions in tile and linoleum oors. Therug and carpet cleaning surface of the tool comprises an aperturesurrounded by smooth surfaced rug pads in Order to minimize frictionsince a tool with a xed brush requires considerable effort to move itover a rug or carpet. To select the appropriate tool surface, the nozzlebody rotates about the associated nozzle elbow and a valve mechanism isprovided in the nozzle body so that only the nozzle aperture associatedwith the selected cleaning surface communicateswith the vacuum cleanervia the nozzle elbow and tool handle or wand.

According to my invention, a dual purpose floor and carpet cleaning toolis provided in which the nozzle body has but one cleaning surface whichis convertible to a floor cleaning use and a carpet cleaning use bymeans of movable brushes. That is, brushes are placed in positionadjacent the aperture of the nozzle body for cleaning floors and arewithdrawn from this position for cleaning carpets and rugs.

A dual purpose iioor and rug cleaning tool having movable brushes inaccordance with my invention is less expensive to manufacture than theknown dual purpose tool since the valve and its operating mechanism iseliminated, while on the other hand the means for mounting the brusheson the tool are extremely simple to manufacture and assemble, are highlyreliable in operation and easily operated by the person using the tool.

Therefore, an object of my invention is to provide a floor and rugcleaning tool having movable brushes whereby the tool is converted forthe desired use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a dual purpose oor cleaningtool which is inexpensive.

A further object of my invention is to provide a dual purpose floorcleaning tool of simple construction in which ra rst brush is pivotallymounted for movement between its operative and inoperative position in asimple manner and a second brush is appropriately positioned accordingto the selected position of the iirst brush for floor or rug cleaning.

The foregoing objects and advantages, together with additional objectsand advantages of this invention, will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description of a presently preferred embodimentillustrated in the attached drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a oor cleaning tool according to theinvention.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views similar to FIG. 1 showing the pivotal movementof one brush from a floor cleaning position, FIG. 1, to a rug cleaningposition, FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is a cross section taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken on line S-S of FIG. l.

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a cross section taken on line 7--7 of FIG. 1.

3,382,525 Patented May 14, 1968 ICC FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of FIG.1 showing a detail of the invention.

FIG. 9 is an end view of a tool as seen in FIG. 3.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the dual purpose cleaning toolaccording to the invention comprise a nozzle body 10 having a suitablesuction aperture and an elbow 11 which is pivotally attached to the body10 in any suitable manner. A brush 12 and associated brush housing 20are mounted at the front of the body 10 for rotation about a pin 13. Thehousing 20 is journalled on the pin 13 in any known simple manner sothat the brush 12 can rotate 180 from the position shown in FIG. 1 tothe position shown in FIG. 3. The brush housing 20 cannot rotate morethan since it engages levers 17 and 26 in each of its operativepositions (FIGS. 1 and 3) as will be clear from the followingdescription given in connection with FIGS. 4, 5, and 7.

A second brush 14, which is seen in FIG. 2, extends from the body 10adjacent the rear edge of body and in its oor cleaning position thebrush 14 is fixed in this extended position. The brush 14 retracts intothe body 10 for cleaning rugs (FIG. 3).

Movement of the brush 14 between its extended position, for floorcleaning, and its retracted position, for cleaning carpets, isdetermined by this position of the brush 12. This is accomplished, asseen in FIGS. 4 and 5, by a lever 15 which is pivotally attached to thebody 10. The lever 15 has a reverse bend or cam 16 at one end forengaging the brush 14 and an arm 17 extending through a slot 18 intoengagement with the pivotal brush housing 20.

From FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, it will be evident that when the brush 12 isturned upwardly (FIGS. 3, 4) the brush housing 20 pushes down on the arm17 of the lever 15 which in turn disengagcs the cam 16 from the brush 14(FIG. 4). In this position of lever 15, the brush 14 is free to move upor down within the brush well 19. When the brush 12 is `positioned inits floor cleaning position (FIGS. 1 and 5) the lever arm 17 is liftedby the brush housing 2i) and the cam 16 of the lever 15 forces the rush14 downwardly so that it projects from the well 19.

Any suitable means can be used for guiding the brush 14 for movement upand down in the well. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, avertically elongated slot 32 may be provided at each end of the nozzlebody 10. The brush 14 in such a case being provided with alongitudinally extending rod which is received in the slot 32 and havingend caps 31 which extend beyond the edges of the slot to limit axialmovement of the brush. Also shown in FIG. 9 is a sliding latch 30 whichis adapted to engage a pin on the brush housing 20 to lock the brush 12in both of its operative positions.

n In the rug cleaning position of the brush 14, gravity will hold itagainst the rug or carpet to brush the nap, and if desired, a spring(not shown) may be used to cause the brush 14 to lightly engage thecarpet. It is noted that the brush 14 will not materially increase theforce re quired to move the tool over a rug or carpet as is the casewith a xed brush forced against the rug by the total weight of the tool.According to my invention only the weight of the brush is active and theresultant drag on the tool is negligible.

Furthermore, by suitably shaping the cam end of the lever 15 the brush14 can be fully retracted and held within the well 19. However, I preferthat the brush 14 be allowed to act under the influence of gravity tolightly brush the nap of the rug or carpet being cleaned.

To hold the brush 14 fixed in its extended door cleaning position, a rod25 having a pair of levers 26 and 27 xed at each end, is provided asshown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8. The rod 25, which is pivotally journalled inthe body 10 in any suitable manner, extends the length of the `body 10.The lever 26 iixed at the end of the rod 25 adjacent the lever l5,extends through a slot 29iin `the front face of the body 10 forengagement bythe brush i housing `20.The levery 27 at` the oppositeendof rod 25 (FIG. 6) `does not` project from the body 10. Each of thelevers`i26and 27 extend over the brush 14. When the brush housing 20 isplaced in its oor cleaning position it lifts the arm of `lever 26extending through the slot 29. As a result the other end of lever 26bears down on the brush 14. At the same time, the rod 25 pivots aboutits longitudinal axis turning the lever 27 against the other end ofbrush 14. As long as brush housing 20 is held against the iloorthe brush14 is fixed in its extended floor cleaning position also.

i The lever `15 and the rod 25 with associated levers 26 and 27 may be`biased into one operative `position by a suitable spring. However,` thelever 15 and rod 25 can be allowed to pivot freely since movement of thelevers 15, 26, and 27 by brush housing 20 is controlled in a positivemanner.

When the arm of therod lever 26 is engagedfby the opposite side of thebrush housing 20 the rod 25 and levers 26, 27 are disengaged `from `thebrush 1.4y which is then free to move up and down within the well 19.`

The foregoing description of my invention is not intended to restrictthe appended claims to the specific details disclosed above.`

What is claimed is:

1. A dual purpose cleaning tool comprising an elongated nozzlebodyhavinga cleaning surface and an elbow member `projectingtherefrom forconnecting said brush means connected thereto yfor pivotal movementrelativeto said body, said first brush member extending inthe elongated"directionof said nozzle body and having a first operativeposition inwhich the "bristles of said brush means extend outwardly of saidnozzlebody beyond `said cleaning surface and a second operative positionin which thebristles of said brush means extend in the oppositedirection remote from said cleaning surface, said nozzle body having awell extending in the elongated direction thereof and opening into saidcleaning surface, a second brush means within said well movable betweena retracted position in which said second brush resides within `saidWell and an extended position in which the bristles of said second brushmeans projecttfrom said Well outwardlybeyond said cleaning surface,lever means pivhaving an outer end projecting from said nozzle body intothe plane of said iirst brush means'adjacent one longitudinal endk ofsaid nozzle body, said lever means having an inner end within said Wellfor contact with said second brush means; said second brush being movedto said extended position by said lever means when said first brush isin its first operative position engaging the outer end of said levermeans, and said lever means being withdrawn from said second brush whensaid first brush is in its second operative position engaging the outerend of said lever means whereby said second brush is free to move intoits retracted position within said well.

2. A dual purpose cleaning tool according to claim 1 wherein said levermeans includes a first pivotal lever having a camming surface at one endwithin said well and an arm extending outwardly of said `body` fordeiining said outer end extending into the plane of said first brush,and a second lever system including a rod rotatably mounted within saidbody, said rod being coextensive with said body in a plane substantiallyparallel with said irst brush, said rod having a lever iixed thereto ateach end, each of said rod levers extending into said well forengagement with said second brush, and one of said rod levers having anouter end projecting into the plane of said iirst brush for extendingsaid second brush from said well and lixing saidy second brush in saidextended position when saidirst brush is similarly positioned.

3. A dual purpose cleaning tool according to claim 1 wherein said levermeans comprises a rod rotatably mounted within said body in a planesubstantially parallelk with said first brush, said rod having a leverlixed thereto at each end, each of said rod levers extending into saidwell at one end for` engagement with said second brush, one of saidlevers having an outer end projecting into the plane of said first brushfor extending said second brush from said rwell and fixing said secondbrush in said extended position when said iirst `brush is similarlypositioned.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,488,625 ll/l949 Hallock 15-3732,674,002 4/ 1954 White 15-365 2,827,654 3/1958 Beede l5373 ROBERT W.MICHELL, Primary Examiner.

1. A DUAL PURPOSE CLEANING TOOL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED NOZZLE BODYHAVING A CLEANING SURFACE AND AN ELBOW MEMBER PROJECTING THEREFROM FORCONNECTING SAID BODY TO A VACUUM CLEANER, SAID NOZZLE BODY HAVING AFIRST BRUSH MEANS CONNECTED THERETO FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TOSAID BODY, SAID FIRST BRUSH MEMBER EXTENDING IN THE ELONGATED DIRECTIONOF SAID NOZZLE BODY AND HAVING A FIRST OPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH THEBRISTLES OF SAID BRUSH MEANS EXTEND OUTWARDLY OF SAID NOZZLE BODY BEYONDSAID CLEANING SURFACE AND A SECOND OPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH THEBRISTLES OF SAID BRUSH MEANS EXTEND IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION REMOTEFROM SAID CLEANING SURFACE, SAID NOZZLE BODY HAVING A WELL EXTENDING INTHE ELONGATED DIRECTION THEREOF AND OPENING INTO SAID CLEANING SURFACE,A SECOND BRUSH MEANS WITHIN SAID WELL MOVABLE BETWEEN A RETRACTEDPOSITION IN WHICH SAID SECOND BRUSH RESIDES WITHIN SAID WELL AND ANEXTENDED POSITION IN WHICH THE BRISTLES OF SAID SECOND BRUSH MEANSPROJECT FROM SAID WELL OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID CLEANING SURFACE, LEVERMEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED WITH SAID NOZZLE BODY, SAID LEVER MEANS HAVINGAN OUTER END PROJECTING FROM SAID NOZZLE BODY INTO THE PLANE OF SAIDFIRST BRUSH MEANS ADJACENT ON LONGITUDINAL END OF SAID NOZZLE BODY, SAIDLEVER MEANS HAVING AN INNER END WITHIN SAID WELL FOR CONTACT WITH SAIDSECOND BRUSH MEANS; SAID SECOND BRUSH BEING MOVED TO SAID EXTENDEDPOSITION BY SAID LEVER MEANS WHEN SAID FIRST BRUSH IS IN ITS FIRSTOPERATIVE POSITION ENGAGING THE OUTER END OF SAID LEVER MEANS, AND SAIDLEVER MEANS BEING WITHDRAWN FROM SAID SECOND BRUSH WHEN SAID FIRST BRUSHIS IN ITS SECOND OPERATIVE POSITION ENGAGING THE OUTER END OF SAID LEVERMEANS WHEREBY SAID SECOND BRUSH IS FREE TO MOVE INTO ITS RETRACTEDPOSITION WITHIN SAID WELL.